In Between
by recklesscharm
Summary: With the village under attack from an unknown enemy and her relationship with a certain Uchiha on the verge of failing, Sakura Haruno has more than enough problems to deal with. AU
1. Part I

_**In Between  
><strong>_

_Author note:_ As you can see from the summary, this is very much an AU story. I wrote this some months ago. And tentatively, there are four parts. But as I edit and proofread, that may change.

_No copyright infringement intended._

* * *

><p><em>Konoha, Fire Country.<em>

Sakura Haruno awoke with gasp and choked on the settling dust around her. There was an obnoxious ringing in her ears, muting the noises around her. She was outside, lying on her chest, feeling the pressure of the ground pushing painfully up against her ribcage. Her shell-shocked brain tried to pick out familiar voices amidst muffled noises. Her eyesight strained as the urban street around her came into focus. There was a large hole blown into the side of a building nearby.

Feeling some strength flow back into her limbs, she pushed herself off the ground and wiped gravel off her cheek. Various other villagers gathered around her, having also survived the blast. As her equilibrium began to right itself, Sakura remembered what had happened. She had been making her way toward the hospital and just narrowly dodged an explosive tag.

Earlier that morning, Sakura had risen early. She had a couple hours of free time before her afternoon shift at the hospital, so she decided to travel to a small town nearby for some supplies and medicinal ingredients.

There was a reason for her restlessness, a strained relationship with a certain Uchiha she had been seeing for the last year. The last time she had seen him was more than week ago. They had never gone this long without speaking to each other after an argument. And so for the ninth day in a row, she started her day worrying over him.

After purchasing everything she needed, Sakura had been halfway back from her supply trip when the ground unsteadily trembled. Ahead of her, a tall billow of black smoke started to reach up into the sky. She would think later, that was when the invasion had begun.

* * *

><p>After lending a hand to a fallen villager, Sakura continued to make her way toward the hospital. She had to stop and stare, standing at the entrance to the Emergency Room. It was a nightmare.<p>

Various medical-nin were dashing from dying patient to dying patient, shouting and healing simultaneously. There were more injured than the current staff could handle. The moans and cries of the injured made the hairs on her arm stand on end. This was something the 24 year-old kunoichi thought she had become accustomed to by now.

This had been the third attack on the Konoha within the past month. With every attack, the damage seemed to be more devastating than last. And whoever was attacking them right now managed to break past Konoha's defensive walls.

A rumble suddenly shook the hospital and dust fell from the ceiling. It didn't sound like the blast was directly on the hospital itself, but it was damn close. Too close for her comfort. Sakura's heart leapt, suddenly feeling helpless.

"I need morphine!" Someone shouted desperately at the other end of the floor.

It was enough to jolt Sakura from her stupor. Taking a deep breath, she began to work her way through the floor.

An elderly man seated on the floor to her right coughed violently, holding a piece of cloth over his mouth.

Sakura crouched down beside him. "Ojii-san. Are you injured?"

The grey-haired man removed the handkerchief to speak, revealing blood on the small piece of cloth.

Sakura gestured for him to be still and concentrated on channeling her chakra. Her glowing hands hovered over his chest and his lungs healed with little difficulty. After a moment, the man was able to breathe easier.

"You'll be okay. But please stay put, it's not safe yet," she ordered him.

The elderly man attempted to stand upright, but staggered. "My wife…"

Sakura frowned and reached out to help him balance. "Where?"

He pointed into a open doorway, a pair of medics tending to an elderly woman inside.

"She's in good hands." Sakura tried to reassure the man, but he looked defeated as he walked over to the nurses' station. She wearily wiped her brow with the back of her hand and turned at the sound of her name.

"Sakura!" Ino Yamanaka rushed over to Sakura's side, pushing her long blonde bangs back in haste. "The Chief wants more of us out in the field. You should come, it's getting really dicey out there."

Sakura surveyed the E.R. The staff was currently made up of nurses and a handful of medical-nin from the morning shift.

"I should stay." Sakura decided. She leaned over and spoke more discreetly, "Do you know anything more about what's happening?"

Ino frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "Two summons were spotted outside the village, a couple kilometers southwest of the village."

Summons? Sakura's heart sank at the mention of them. This was bad news. It took a great deal of skill and power to be able to conjure up Summons, let alone control them.

"From what the Chief told us, the enemy is so far unrecognizable. Whoever is attacking us, we don't know them."

"That's just what we need, _another _group causing us trouble." And more bloodshed, Sakura added silently.

Ino placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll bounce back from this, we always do."

Sakura nodded and looked down, not feeling as confident as her friend.

"I should get going."

Sakura reached into a nearby supply station and grabbed an extra medical pouch before tossing it over to Ino. "Be careful."

With a wave, the blonde kunoichi disappeared down the hall. It was always hard to see her friends in battle. Sakura afforded a moment for worry, unable to keep her mind wandering off to _him_.

Her fight with Sasuke was about something…and nothing. This always happens and then they'd laugh about it once they had made up. And did they ever make up, usually more than once, leaving each other panting and gasping for air before going for another round of "making up".

But this time, they haven't even spoken to each other yet. Afraid to admit how much that worried her, Sakura steeled herself and went right back to work.

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon and the sun was threatening to set. Sakura had finally taken her break, sitting behind the main desk at the medical station, snacking on an apple she grabbed from the cafeteria. Tossing the fruit away after she finished it, she rolled her stiff shoulders and neck.<p>

"Medic!"

The kunoichi had lost count of how many times that had been shouted out since she had arrived. A battered looking female ANBU carried someone through the entrance to the ER, followed by a sobbing middle-aged woman.

"On the gurney!" A nearby nurse ordered and then proceeded to push the patient into a spare room that was already occupied.

Sakura followed and discovered the injured villager brought in by the ANBU was a male child, no more than seven or eight years old. What was most disturbing was the large, dark, red stain, covering the expanse of the child's torso.

The nurse beside her gasped, "What happened?"

"A Summon!" The masked woman shouted and ran out swiftly the way she had entered.

Sakura examined the child's injuries, peeking through what was left of the front of his shirt.

"Large insect," The middle-aged woman wailed between sobs. "Too fast…knocked him down!"

The nurse motioned to have the mother escorted away to wait outside. "Can you see the gashes?"

Sakura peeled his tattered shirt away and found that his torso was misshapen. "I don't think that's problem."

"What is it?"

"He was crushed." They both looked at each with the grim knowledge.

Before the staff could even fathom a way to correct the damage, the young boy began to convulse wildly.

"He's crashing!" The nurse proclaimed.

"Help me with his breathing." Sakura felt the familiar surge of adrenaline coursing through her, as she worked on his heart, willing chakra from her reserve into her hands. But his internal bleeding was so severe. After a few failed attempts at resuscitation, the nurse looked to Sakura for directions.

Looking beyond the gurney, Sakura spotted the mother, watching from outside in hallway. It was the look in the mother's eyes that Sakura could not return. It was hope.

Sakura urged herself to look back down, removing her hands, her voice was barely audible, "Clean him up as best you can. Put him in a room upstairs and give the mother a moment to grieve."

"No!" The mom fought her way back to her son. It was then Sakura noticed, the mother hurt herself, limping back into the room. "Fix him! Save him!"

The nurse tried her best to console the mother, ushering her back.

"You can save him, I know you can! Please!" The mother ignored the nurse and pleaded hysterically.

Sakura had hit her breaking point. She had to find refuge or she'd have a breakdown right in front of everyone-and wasn't that one of her weaknesses Sasuke so tactlessly brings up whenever they argue?

"We're low on morphine." A medical-nin announced behind her.

Sakura blessed whoever that was, as they had inadvertently gave her a reason to excuse herself. She hastily chimed in, "I'll get it!"

Running as fast as she could through the crowded hospital, she reached the second floor supply closet. Closing and locking the door behind her, she leaned against it and prayed she would be left alone.

She walked away from the door and leaned against a tall shelf, hunching over slightly with her hands on her thighs. She inhaled quickly and released the breath with a hitch in her throat. That small hitch was enough to trigger the onslaught of emotion she had been so desperately ignoring. Hidden within the second floor supply closet, she allowed herself the release. Weaknesses be damned.

It was funny. It had been awhile since Sakura had done this, maybe she was out of practice. But she thought crying would make her feel better. Strangely enough, she still was miserable. And most of all, she wished Sasuke was here.

* * *

><p>End of Part I, stay tuned!<p> 


	2. Part II

a/n: I decided to post this earlier than I had planned. :) I apologize for any mistakes, I changed quite a bit since my beta last went through it. And please, let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>Part II<p>

_One Week Ago..._

"_Your brooding act must tiring. However do you manage?" Sakura said dryly. She walked out of his kitchen and leaned on the back of his couch, waiting for his response._

_Sasuke's gaze followed her and tracked over her face, as if he was measuring her gall. He grinned wolfishly and sniffed, "This isn't an act. You should know that by now." _

_He followed her over to the couch, walking past her to the front and dropped down on its cushion seating. _

"_You need to lighten up." She turned to face him. "Is there nothing worth making an effort for?" _

_Thinking she was still talking about their previous disagreement, Sasuke sat up and turned to face her. "Sakura, he was a delivery boy. He delivers the food, I accept. Should I have thrown him a parade for his mediocre performance?" _

_He had all but slammed the door on the poor kid's face, taking the food without so much as a 'thank you'. She had to run back out to hand the boy his tip._

"_It wouldn't kill you to be more friendly," Sakura muttered, feeling like she had been reiterating herself for the last hour._

"_It's a chore. Much like this conversation."_

_Sakura blinked. She rounded the couch to face him. "A chore? Well, I'm sorry I've been such a bother." They both had to leave tomorrow for separate missions. Was _one night_ of no arguing so much to ask for?_

_Sasuke's shoulders tensed. "You know I didn't mean it like that-"_

"_Heaven forbid, I use up all your precious time needed for sulking." Sakura cut him off and turned for his office to gather up her things. She grabbed her bag hanging from a chair._

"_Now wait a minute, I do not sulk." Sasuke pushed off the couch and followed her. He stopped and leaned against the threshold of his office._

"_You sulk." Sakura glared at him. "And it's been _years_ Sasuke, it's time to move on and grow up."_

_He crossed his arms, the look in his eyes was calculating. "At least, I don't go into crying fits every time life gets difficult." For a second, she thought he actually winced after saying that. _

_Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She got emotional, yes. But she hardly threw a crying fit every time, not like when she was younger. Clenching her right hand, chakra slowly ebbed into her fist. "Take that back."_

_He looked back at her defiantly, saying nothing. Sakura let out a bitter laugh before turning to put the paperwork she had been going over back into her bag._

_Sasuke's shoulders sagged and muttered to himself, "—always—leave it—so annoying."_

_She couldn't pick up everything he said, but at that one word she did manage to, Sakura saw red._

"_Then I'll go _annoy _somebody else!" She yelled, brushing past him on her way to the door. With a hand on the door knob, she turned. "I can't do this. It's too hard."_

_Silence filled the room and she couldn't meet his gaze. "Good luck with your mission tomorrow."_

_She left in a blur, rushing home without shedding a single tear._

* * *

><p>Sakura grasped the edge of the shelf, her knuckles turning white. Her breathing, disturbed by hiccups, slowly evened out. She undid her forehead protector, pulled off her hair tie, and placed them on a shelf nearby. Shaking her hair loose, she ran her hands through her pink locks to tame it down. Rubbing her face with a frustrated groan, she knew she had to pull herself together.<p>

Just then, the door handle to the closet rattled. It was followed by two muted thuds that hit the door behind her. Her heart raced at the intruder.

"Sakura-san? It was the nurse from earlier, the one she worked with on the child. "Are you in there?"

There was no way she would let her coworker find her in this state, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The door shook again, more forcefully this time. Sakura froze, thinking she heard another voice outside the closet. Perfect. An audience was just what she needed.

"I'm _trying_." The nurse said on the other side of the door, speaking to whoever was with her.

Sakura cleared her throat. "I'm fine! The closet is a total mess, just give me a few minutes."

Silence. Sakura had thought the nurse and her companion had moved on when she could hear shuffling.

"Excuse me!" The nurse again, sounding like she had been shoved.

With an unpleasant crack, the door snapped open. There was a tell-tale sign of electricity dissipating around the handle, splintering the wooden door. Filling in the door's threshold, stood the man she least expected to find her here.

Sasuke stood before her, body clad for battle. His ensemble was black and blue, his body mostly covered by his under-armor that was long-sleeved and form fitting. On top of the under-armor was his usual battle gear: protective vest, utility belt, and shin and arm guards. In his hand was his Kusanagi, its steel sheathed within its dark scabbard.

Neither of them spoke, so Sakura said the first thing that came to mind. "Get out." There wasn't much anger or energy to it.

His gaze didn't meet hers, as it scanned her body. "Are you hurt?"

He was angry, she finally noticed, his tone hard and controlled.

"Sakura."

She glanced behind him and realized the nurse was still there, watching them curiously. She took a careful step back, hoping to hide her face. Sasuke threw a glare over his shoulder, making the nurse also step back, but for an entirely different reason.

"I'll just…go." The nurse offered feebly before her footsteps disappeared down the hall.

Sakura waited until she was sure the nurse was gone and Sasuke had closed what was left of the cracked and splintered door. "Well?"

Silence again. Sakura shifted uneasily, a grumpy Sasuke was never pleasant to deal with.

"Come here," he said, reaching out a hand.

Even though she wouldn't admit it to him, his presence actually helped calm her nerves. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that odds of survival were always in her favor when he was around. But she wasn't entirely sure she could trust her rampant emotions right now. So she had to keep her distance until she could.

"I should get these downstairs." She absentmindedly grabbed a handful of morphine ampoules—at least she hoped it was morphine-and tried to make a break for it.

Halfway out the closet, she realized the hitch in her exit strategy: he was still standing at the door, effectively blocking her way as she tried sneaking past him the scant space.

Sasuke reached out and snatched the hand that had been holding ampoules of morphine. The morphine clattered onto the floor, but neither moved to pick them up. His eyes traveled up her arm. His voice, low and distinctive, "I came here looking for you earlier, when we were first attacked. I couldn't find you."

She managed to look at him in the eyes and there was a strange intensity there that spooked her. He made her feel like a careless child, so she stiffened and spoke with more vigor, "I was outside the village and it took me awhile to get back. I've been pretty busy since then."

She jumped at the feeling of his fingers ghosting up her arm.

"Hold still." His grip on her arm tightened as he pulled her closer to him, the muscle in his bicep flexing beneath his long-sleeved under armor.

The intensity in his dark eyes softened and his grip on her loosened, letting her pull back her hand. He placed his blade down, leaning it on the shelf. His dark eyes traveled across the rest of her body.

"You are unharmed?" He asked her, his deep voice vibrated around her.

"I dodged an explosive tag on my way here. Other than that, I'm…" Was she fine? She didn't feel fine.

Sakura tilted her head and looked at him expectedly, unable to finish her sentence. Her lips faltered as she looked down, the motion let loose stray strands of her hair.

Sasuke hesitated, but reached up and brushed the stray hairs back behind her ear. He kept his hand there to cradle the side of her face. She closed her eyes and relaxed a fraction into his touch.

When she opened her eyes again, she found he had been staring at her. Fighting back a blush, she pressed her lips together forming a slight frown.

That was when she decided-whatever issues they had, could wait. She reached out and pulled him towards her by the lapels of his vest,closing whatever distance was left between them. He responded by wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss on her forehead before resting his chin atop her pink hair.

Sakura settled her head into the crook of his neck. She took a deep breath, breathing in his usual clean and soapy scent mixed with smoke and sweat. And when she felt Sasuke relax himself, she gave him a squeeze.

"It's been an awful day." She spoke softly against his collar.

"Agreed," he murmured.

"I missed you."

His response came in the form of his arms tightening around her, hugging her to him. She leaned her head back, finding confirmation in his eyes. And in that moment, she kissed him.

At first, the kiss was soft, acquiescing, as if their time apart made them fragile. His lips brushed her bottom lip, pressed gently against hers. His tongue sought out her lips, tracing them and seeking entrance into her mouth. Her tongue darted out and met his, their moans filling up the space between them at the touch. Her hands sought him out, needing to touch him, finding skin at his exposed neck.

Before she knew it, he was pressing her up against the shelves. His hands cupped her face, while she fisted hers into the fabric of his vest. They kissed each other with long sensuous pulls in the sanctuary of the closet, both desperately in need of the contact.

When they finally broke the kiss, Sasuke rested his forehead against each hers, eyes closed. The only thing she could hear within the closet was the sound of their breathing.

Sakura leaned back and smirked at the sight of Sasuke, his lips were red and swollen, his lips parted and his tongue darted out to lick the bottom lip, leaving behind a glossy trail. The action sent languid heat to her lower regions, curling deliciously south. Feeling a little devious, so she leaned up and bit his lower lip and gently tugged. She smirked as his eyes snapped open, releasing his lip and wrapped her arms arm his neck.

Sasuke groaned huskily before leaning in for another kiss, bracing a hand on the shelf behind her and placing the other at her hip. His hand travel to her back as she ran her fingers through into his jet black hair. His hand migrated north, splayed against her back. He pressed himself closer to her, when suddenly a dull explosion sounded around them and the building groaned, breaking their kiss.

Sasuke's arms tightened around her when she instinctively tried to move. The shelving clattered and various medical supplies fell down around them.

Sakura ducked and clutched his waist. When she looked up again she saw he had thrown his arms up to shield them from any falling debris.

"You should go check the damage," she whispered. From experience, the sound from the explosion was muted enough to signal that the hospital itself had not been hit, but somewhere down the street.

Sasuke nodded. He leaned up, his hand wiping away any evidence of their activity. Stepping back, they both straightened themselves out.

Sakura grabbed her hair-tie from where its spot on the shelf. She gathered up her hair quickly and made a ponytail. "We still have to talk. I'm supposed to still be mad at you."

He smirked and rolled his eyes, but it was without malice. "I know."

Picking up her forehead protector, he moved forward to help her put it on. His lips pressed together in concentration as he worked to tie it securely, withdrawing his hands when he was finished, but not before his fingers lingering at the nape of her neck.

She looked up at him, "Thank you."

Sasuke stepped back and offered her the door, which she noted now needed replacing. She leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek as she passed him. She would never think to in plain sight.

Upon arriving at the first floor, they agreed to meet outside the hospital at the end of her shift. She reached the large desk at the medical station. She went behind it to check on the patient roster-which to her dismay, was haphazardly filled out with new injured villagers.

Not ashamed with getting enjoyment from the view, she turned slightly around to catch him walking away. People generally stiffened in his presence and when he passed by some villagers, they gave him a wide-berth. One of them even ducked their heads down when he passed them. Sakura shook her head, not sure she should be amused by that. They certainly had a lot of work ahead of them.

* * *

><p>Since Sasuke's return to Konoha, it had taken years for him overcome his struggle with his dark past. It took even longer for the village to accept him back. Some of the villagers still haven't forgiven him. Two years ago, Sasuke had been released from his time in prison, both for good behavior and Konoha had been in need for his skill and strength. The elders were not so naïve as to ignore the fact they had a formidable weapon held within their prisons.<p>

Sakura and Naruto were both there to help him reintegrate back into village life. It wasn't an easy task. Every day was a battle with Sasuke's ego and pride. And after a year of dating him, Sakura learned to deal with his arrogance and his guardedness, especially when it came to interacting with the village. But recently, they had been arguing more often than not.

Despite all the coldness and pretentiousness, there were moments of vulnerability he did show Sakura. Those moments in between are what held them together. She could still remember the day he first smiled for her, a smile that reached his eyes and made her chest tighten in response. They had started to see each other exclusively the day after.

Sakura smiled at the memory. Upon remembering it, she was determined to fix that widening gap between them.

* * *

><p>End of Part II, stay tuned!<p> 


	3. Part III

Part III

The Konoha Hospital had quieted down considerably since the earlier hours of the day. Having driven back the attack, Konoha was relatively safe again. A tired janitor could be seen slowly sweeping his way through the hospital. The halls themselves were clear of any injured villagers, a good majority were sent home with minor bumps and bruises. The more seriously injured were still kept at the hospital for observation.

Sakura nodded and smiled tiredly as the janitor passed the main desk, pushing a wide broom down the hall. Of her friends, Kiba and Choji ended up staying overnight. Both had taken a nasty beating from one the Summons they encountered. They had held their own until help had arrived, luckily Naruto and Sai had had been in the area.

The mother of the child who died under her care was still at the hospital, having suffered a fainting spell and knocked her head hard on the floor. Sakura made a mental note to visit the mother when she returned.

"You should go home." A voice broke Sakura's train of thought. Shizune entered the E.R with a group following closely behind her. "I thought I saw Sasuke waiting out by the front gate."

"He's early." Sakura stretched and checked the time on the wall clock overhead. She peered behind Shizune, brows raised at the group of medial-nin. The cavalry had arrived. "As are you guys."

"I figured it was about time we took over. I heard it was utter chaos in here." Shizune grinned.

"That would be one way to describe it," Sakura said wryly. She stood, gathering up her paperwork, handing some of the pile to Shizune.

Shizune and the others chuckled, dispersing to various areas of the E.R. Among the new shift of hospital staff was Karin. Since meeting back when they were teenagers, Sakura only ever ran interacted with the red-head at work. It was always awkward when they spoke with each other, so they normally opted not to. And this night wasn't any different. Karin passed her, acknowledging her with a curt nod. Sakura mirrored the move.

Shizune lagged behind glancing over the roster and logs. She leaned an elbow on the large desk at the medical station. "You did well today. I'll be sure to mention it to the Chief."

"Well, thank you, I appreciate that." Sakura's feigning of excitement could have been construed as rude, were it not for the fact that Shizune had been promoted to the hospital's Chief of Staff three months ago.

"Go home and get some rest," Shizune laughed. "And take tomorrow morning off."

* * *

><p>The sky was a shady muted dark blue. The night air was cool, tinged with a faint smell of dirt and smoke. Most of the villagers had already retreated back into their households, having cleaned up their properties as best they could before nightfall. Unfortunately, a few of the buildings did not survive the invasion and would need to be rebuilt.<p>

Sakura found Sasuke with his back to the hospital entrance, leaning on the archway. He was looking down, a small frown on his lips. If the mere mention of it wouldn't offend him so much, she'd tell him he looked endearing.

"Hey." Sakura hugged her leather portfolio of paperwork to her chest as she neared him.

Sasuke looked up and pushed off the gate, brows furrowed. "About time."

"You're early." Sakura pointed out.

"Hm."

Sakura sighed and walked ahead of him. So he was back to being grumpy again, the moment in the closet was probably due to his initial panic at her being in danger.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," Sakura answered him, not slowing her pace.

"I thought that the whole reason for meeting you here was so we could talk," he asked as he followed her.

Sakura stopped at that and turned around. "Yes, we need to talk. But not when you're in one of your moods."

"I'm not in a mood," he snapped.

Sakura gave him a skeptical look and shook her head as she turned back around. "I'm tired."

"Wait."

She didn't and rounded the next corner.

"Sakura." He sounded weary.

After a few more steps, when she thought he had given up, there was a light touch on her wrist, startling her. His hand lightly grabbed her by the wrist, urging her to stop. Sakura stopped, but remained silent. With a raised brow, she waited for him to speak.

"My place is closer," Sasuke abruptly said as he pulled on her wrist and hurried her along.

Sakura was about to protest, on principle she should say something about his manhandling her. But when she caught up with him and could see that concentrated frown on his face, she decided against it.

Maybe today's earlier events affected him more than she had thought. If something had happened to him today and she never had the chance to speak with him again after their fight, she couldn't imagine what that would do to her. Her heart raced at the idea that perhaps it affected Sasuke as deeply as it did for her.

As they neared his apartment, she began to feel anxious, unsure if they should talk before settling in, or just push the talking off until later…again.

"Hey guys!"

Sakura inwardly sighed. The interruption was both a curse and a blessing. They were greeted with a familiar face, one that with an honest smile and a short mop of brilliant blond hair.

"Naruto!" Sakura greeted him, then remembered her concern with her friend needing medical attention but was too stubborn to seek it. "You should have stopped by the hospital after the battle."

"I'm fine. Not a scratch!" He reassured her, holding his arms out on display. "I just came from handing patrol duties over to Shikamaru. He was on one of those liason trips to Suna again. Missed the dang whole invasion, can you believe that? Hold on, are you two taking again?"

Sakura's cheeks pinked and clutched that the portfolio tighter to her chest, her eyes avoiding that knowing grin on Naruto's face.

"Did you want something, Naruto?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

"Actually, I was looking to see if any food shops were still open. How about it guys, you hungry?" Naruto patted his belly and smiled.

A late-night snack meant a three course meal by Naruto's standards. Sasuke sighed impatiently, reaching out to usher Sakura along. "Another time."

She stopped Sasuke with a hand on his arm and added sheepishly. "What he means is we really have to get going. I'm going to pass out on the sidewalk if I don't get into a bed soon."

"Alright," Naruto frowned. "Hey wait, Sasuke, you manage to speak with Kakashi yet?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Not yet. Figured I'll-"

The three of them all stiffened at the sense of danger. Sakura followed Sasuke's gaze over to a shadowy area of the street behind Naruto. _Damn_. At this rate, they'd never have the time to talk.

With a curse, Sasuke abruptly pushed Naruto and Sakura out with both arms, shoving them both back up against a nearby tall cement wall. Three shuriken flew past where they had been standing, whizzing by at killer speed.

The action cause her to drop her portfolio of paperwork, thankfully it stayed closed.

"You knucklehead," Sasuke hissed. "Did you not check if you were being followed?"

Naruto blushed and rubbed the side of his hip where he bumped into the wall too hard. Sakura pushed against the arm that was still holding her against the wall. Sasuke didn't seem to realize he was still pressing her back. When he finally let her go, Sakura stepped forward to survey their surroundings.

"I don't see them," she breathed.

Before anyone could comment further, a whistle sounded from the shadows-a diversion. But Sakura's head still turned toward the noise on instinct, glancing somewhere further down the street. Suddenly, flashes of silver rained down upon them.

They tried to jump out of the way, but it was a little too late, the needles nicked Sakura and Naruto in the cheeks and Sasuke on his forearm. The group of senbon needles embedded themselves into the ground near their feet. There wasn't any time for chatter or strategizing, as if on cue, they dispersed in search for cover.

* * *

><p>Sakura flattened herself against a side of a building in a narrow alleyway. Her chest rose and fell as she quieted her breathing. She had sprinted nearly four blocks before ducking into the alley, losing sight of Sasuke and Naruto.<p>

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke had home advantage. They knew these streets and alleyways by heart. Hopefully it was enough to lose their ambushers, or at least slow them down.

She reached up and wiped at the cut on her cheek, nicked open by the senbon. Glancing the small smudge of blood on her fingers, she finally noticed her cheek was numb where it should have stung.

_Fantastic_. The senbon was poisoned. Judging from how slowly the numbness was spreading, there was only a trance amount on her cut and it wasn't enough to kill her, at least not right away. It probably would have been a whole different story if the senbon actually managed to hit them critically.

Peering down the alleyway on both ends, Sakura knew she had to find better cover before administering first aid. She willed chakra into her legs and jumped up, scaling the two story buildings surrounding her with a single leap.

The moment she landed on one of the roof tops, she started running in the direction she had last seen Sasuke had gone. After running past several buildings, she found cover in a balcony of one of the more expensive apartment buildings in the village.

Ducking behind a large planter with tall shrubbery, Sakura rummaged through her medical pouch and pulled out an ampoule of anti-venom. She injected herself with syringe before applying some on the cut on her cheek. It might not work with the kind of poison used, but it was worth a shot. Placing two fingers on her cheek, she evened her breathing and concentrated on her chakra flow. Her fingers began to glow a bright green as the superficial cut on her cheek healed.

Suddenly, a loud blast sounded nearby, shaking the planter and floor around her. Sakura peered out to investigate, sensing it was northwest of her, in the direction of the park. As she made her way over, she could spot the edge of a bright blue spherical blast, followed by a deafening cluster of electric energy at the top of the trees. Or in other words, Naruto and Sasuke were in battle and whoever those poor souls were, they were being annihilated.

Leaping over rooftops, Sakura raced over toward the fight, only to sense she was being followed. Without a moment's notice, she quickly turned on her heel, skidding as her momentum tipped her forward. Feeling her muscles strain as her body twisted, she jumped down and continued running at street level.

Sakura weaved her way through the streets of Konoha in the general direction of the park. Ducking in to another alleyway, she stopped for breath. Reaching into her hip pack, she pulled out her favorite pair of fingerless combat gloves.

Pulling the gloves on and tugging them until they felt snug, she could feel the chakra-friendly material wrap around her hand and fingers in a reassuring fit. She clenched her hands and unclenched them, itching to get on the offensive.

As Sakura suspected, her pursuer was lost and jogged right past her at first. But as he backtracked and stepped back into the alley, she could see the man's identity was hidden way by a gilded, silver mask. The mask covered the man from the nose up, his sable hair pushed out by the mask, making him look like a rakish pirate. His whole body was covered in black, black boots, black body suit with a high neck, and black skin tight gloves.

Feeling the weight of a broken piece of heavy concrete in her hand, hidden at her back, she whipped it at the man, using a bit of chakra to shoot it even more dangerously. The fist-sized piece of concrete hit the man on his collar, knocking him back a step with a painful yelp.

Taking advantage of his disorientation, she rushed him and tripped him with a low sweeping kick. He easily flipped upright after falling on his back. Sakura swung out a series of attacks, the first couple landed perfectly, but then he managed to block or dodge the rest.

The masked man went on the offensive and threw a couple punches of his own. One hit her side and it hurt like hell, nearly knocking her down. It didn't feel like a natural fist, he must have had some sort of brass knuckle underneath his gloves.

Determined to avoid being hit again, Sakura willed her limbs to move as fluidly as possible. Ducking and dodging his swings, she ran over and hopped onto a dumpster. With another hop, she jumped toward a brick wall right before the man kicked the dumpster out from under her. Using the wall as a boost, she pushed off the wall and with the momentum she gained from the movement, Sakura yelled and aimed straight for the masked man below.

Her fist hit jaw and it dazed the man into a wobble as she landed back in front of him. She clenched her fists and concentrated on her chakra flow. As her hands began to glow a soft blue, Sakura pulled it back and swung out. When her fist met his chest, the man flew back, crash landing on a wall at the other end of the street.

The masked man was just knocked completely out, not even making a moan or gasp. _Point for her_. She thought proudly before remembering the fighting at the park. Without second thought, Sakura dashed out of the alley and headed for the park.

* * *

><p>End of Part III, stay tuned!<p>

(again, pardon any mistakes, I've edited it quite a bit since my last beta went through it for me.)


End file.
